For the past four years, the West has been best. Whether it’s the LA Galaxy’s run of two MLS Cup and two Supporters Shield titles over three seasons, the surprising championships won by Real Salt Lake (2009) and the Colorado Rapids (2010) or the atmosphere and support generated by the Cascadia clubs in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, the best of MLS has resided in the Western Conference. Even the East has been won in each of the past two seasons by a former Western club, the Houston Dynamo.

Power surely is cyclical, but that sort of dominance—even if temporary—can change the way teams are regarded and remembered.

Seattle's Eddie Johnson (15 MLS goals in 2012) heads into the season with confidence. (AP Photo)

As MLS prepares to open its 18th season Saturday, the vast majority of its 19 clubs now has an identity, history or brand that transcends a single season’s results. After previewing the Eastern Conference on Monday, Sporting News takes a look at those identities and how they might be strengthened or changed this year, along with a projected order of regular-season finish.

That projection is hazardous, however. There are several clubs in position to continue the West’s reign, but nearly all of them are in flux in one way or another, even the mighty Galaxy. The success of new signings, the development of younger players and the identity of acquisitions to come will shape the Western race in the summer and fall, and perhaps the image of a few teams along the way.

The Favorites

LA GALAXY

Last season: 16-12-6, fourth in West (eighth in MLS); won MLS Cup.

Identity: The league’s most glamorous team boasts stars on the field and now a record-tying four stars on its jersey. In coach Bruce Arena, the Galaxy have the most accomplished and respected manager in American soccer history. He guides a team that strikes a near perfect balance between talent and chemistry.

Outlook: The biggest star of all, David Beckham, is gone. But striker Robbie Keane (22 goals last year) might well be the best player in MLS, and Landon Donovan should be back on the field by May.

L.A. proved in 2012 that a champion doesn’t have to hit its stride until summer, and if Donovan reaches his potential and the right designated player is added during the season—Chelsea’s Frank Lampard remains the favorite—the Galaxy will be in position to claim a third consecutive MLS Cup. Defenders Omar Gonzalez and Todd Dunivant, midfielder Juninho and midfielder/forward Mike Magee are among the Galaxy players who comprise the league’s best supporting cast.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Last season: 15-8-11, third in West (seventh in MLS); reached MLS Cup semifinals and U.S. Open Cup final.

Identity: Averaging crowds of more than 43,000 per game (last year’s league average was about 18,800), Seattle embodies the spirit of MLS 2.0. The Sounders are well run, have an instantly recognizable brand and cultivate an inclusive and authentic fan culture. With three U.S. Open Cup titles and four consecutive playoff berths, they also produce on the field. Three of those four playoff runs ended at the first hurdle, however, leaving some to wonder whether postseason ineptitude has become an unwelcome component of the club’s identity.

Outlook: The big crowds at CenturyLink Field should have plenty to cheer about in 2013. When healthy, Mauro Rosales is among the league’s top playmakers and striker Eddie Johnson (15 MLS goals in 2012) heads into the season with confidence.

Honduran winger Mario Martínez is a star on the rise, and Seattle’s goalkeeping tandem of Michael Gspurning and Marcus Hahnemann gives them an advantage over L.A. The additions of Shalrie Joseph and Djimi Traore will bolster a defense that was much improved in 2012. If the right replacement for departed forward Fredy Montero is signed—Nigerian Obafemi Martins is the rumored target—the Sounders could be ready to take that next step: The long one to an elusive MLS Cup final.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Last season: 19-6-9, first in West (first in MLS); won Supporters Shield and reached MLS Cup quarterfinals.

Identity: Several years in the MLS wilderness ended dramatically last season as the “Goonies”—fueled by Chris Wondolowski’s heroics and enough stoppage time magic to last a decade—soared to the league’s best record. With ground broken on a new stadium, the future looks bright. When the ‘Quakes finally ditch those all-black uniforms and return to their MLS Cup-winning blue jerseys, a return to the glory days of soccer in San Jose will be complete.

Outlook: A glut of injuries—defender Steven Beitashour, midfielder Marvin Chávez and forwards Alan Gordon and Steven Lenhart are among the missing for Sunday’s opener—might slow San Jose’s Supporters Shield defense. This team won’t be taking anybody by surprise in ’13 either, and questions remain about a defense that yielded 43 goals in the 2012 regular season and was torn apart by L.A. in the playoffs.

But San Jose turned a massive corner last year on its way to respectability. It was a season the club desperately needed to help gain some traction in Northern California. Another solid campaign, and perhaps more luck in the playoffs, could cement the ‘Quakes among the league’s elite.

The Contenders

REAL SALT LAKE

Last season: 17-11-6, second in West (fifth in MLS); reached MLS Cup quarterfinals.

Identity: “The Team is the Star” in Salt Lake City, where coach Jason Kreis and GM Garth Lagerwey haven’t let their small market status deter them from building a consistently outstanding outfit. Nor have they let the team’s name, a misdirected homage to Spanish clubs recognized by their king, stop them from inspiring one of the league’s most loyal hometown followings. Kreis deploys a 4-4-2 anchored by defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman and playmaker Javier Morales that plays a recognizable and consistent brand of possession soccer. That consistency has allowed the club to target the correct players for its system, ensuring it remains competitive despite the lack of the financial muscle seen in LA or Seattle.

Outlook: RSL could be among the favorites, but a trio of key departures and three consecutive seasons of knockout frustration at both the league and continental level leave Kreis & Co. with something to prove.

Forward Fabián Espíndola, midfielder Will Johnson and defender Jámison Olave won’t be easy to replace. That responsibility will fall largely to the returning Robbie Findley, among the heroes of RSL’s ’09 championship team, 19-year-old midfielder Luis Gil and former backup defender Chris Schuler. If all three perform and if Morales can stay healthy, RSL might yet give the favorites a run for the championship.

FC DALLAS

Last season: 9-13-12, sixth in West (13th in MLS); missed playoffs.

Identity: FC Dallas remains on the tantalizing cusp of breaking through on both the relevance and championship fronts. But it still hasn’t happened. Attendance issues at its suburban stadium (last year’s average of 14,199 was the club’s highest in five years) and a trophy drought lasting back to 1997 have left Dallas well behind the pace set by the league’s more accomplished and popular clubs.

Outlook: The overtime loss to the Colorado Rapids in the 2010 MLS Cup final still reverberates at a club that desperately needed some championship cache. Last month’s sale of Texan Brek Shea, FCD’s most recognizable player, to England’s Stoke City won’t help on the marketing front.

But there are good players at coach Schellas Hyndman’s disposal, including ’10 league MVP David Ferreira, that should make Dallas a team worth watching. A title might be too much to ask—there isn’t much depth—but generating a bit of buzz in North Texas would be a good start.

Panamanian striker Blas Pérez, potentially one of the league’s most lethal finishers, will be joined this season by recently-acquired Kenny Cooper and Eric Hassli. George John and Matt Hedges are on the verge of becoming a top defensive pairing, but the departure of long-time goalkeeper Kevin Hartman could create chemistry issues in back. If Hyndman can find the right formula and if oft-injured Ferreira stays on the field, Dallas won’t be easily ignored in 2013.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

Identity: Undefined. Often overlooked in the Cascadia discussion that focuses on Portland and Seattle, the Whitecaps began their second MLS season strong but saw just about everything fall apart over the summer. The Canadian Championship loss to Toronto FC was demoralizing, and coach Martin Rennie’s midseason tinkering led to a 2-8-4 slide that nearly cost Vancouver a playoff berth.

Outlook: We’ll learn more about the Whitecaps in 2013. DP midfielder Barry Robson is gone, and Rennie’s team now might revolve around newcomers Daigo Kobayashi and Nigel Reo-Coker. Captain Jay DeMerit’s health will be vital to a defense that improved significantly in 2012, and Jamaican speedster Darren Mattocks will look to have a breakout second season. More production from forwards Camilo Sanvezzo and Kenny Miller, a Scottish DP, is needed.

It might all come together or, if not, Rennie might have to overhaul everything again this summer. If it comes to that, the Whitecaps might have to start from scratch in 2014.

The Stragglers

PORTLAND TIMBERS

Last season: 8-16-10, eighth in West (17th in MLS); missed playoffs.

Identity: There has been pro soccer in Portland for 26 years, and the trophy case remains bare save for two USL Commissioner’s Trophies (the second-tier equivalent of the Supporters Shield) won in ‘04 and ’09. Yet, the fans keep coming. They sell out Jeld-Wen Field and create the best atmosphere in MLS and even throw their support behind the Timbers’ reserve team and its new women’s side, the Thorns. Everything that’s great about Portland soccer happens in the stands.

Outlook: The Timbers Army is well versed in the art of patience and likely will have to exercise more in 2013. But the hiring of charismatic young coach Caleb Porter, the architect of the University of Akron’s soccer dynasty, is a bold move that will buy the club some time as it hopes to establish some traction in its third MLS season.

Porter is well regarded for his fluid, attacking soccer and his ability to develop young talent. The Timbers lacked rhythm last year and will count on Argentine playmaker Diego Valeri to develop an attacking presence. If Ryan Johnson and Darlington Nagbe can find chemistry with Valeri, then the long-suffering but ever-positive Jeld-Wen faithful will have something to cheer about while Porter rebuilds the defense.

COLORADO RAPIDS

Last season: 11-19-4, seventh in West (14th in MLS); missed playoffs.

Identity: When MLS kicked off in 1996, the Rapids wore green and white. Then, they changed to blue and black. Now, in burgundy, the 2010 MLS champs are still searching for consistency and resonance. The recent title didn’t help much—many wrote it off as a fluke, and attendance has risen just 6 percent the past two years. The recent rebuild under second-year coach Oscar Pareja has led to the departure of all but a few of the club’s familiar names.

Outlook: If the frequent color changes symbolize the Rapids’ lack of a lasting identity, then this year’s uniforms represent the recognition that real roots are required. Colorado’s primary burgundy jersey features the names of every season ticket holder woven into the fabric, while the secondary shirt draws on the colors and design of the state flag. Perhaps this is the start of a real, long-awaited connection with Colorado fans.

That’ll help, because wins will be hard to come by this year. Pareja will field some young, untested talent. It’ll help if former Galaxy striker Edson Buddle, acquired in a December trade, recaptures his 2010 form. Midfielder and captain Pablo Mastroeni, who missed nearly all of ‘12 with a concussion, will be invaluable as the defense looks to improve and Pareja waits for his new team to gel.

CHIVAS USA

Last season: 7-18-9, ninth in West (18th in MLS); missed playoffs.

Identity: The league punchline, Chivas has spent eight mostly-comical seasons trying to figure out what it wants to be. Through multiple coaching, front office and philosophical overhauls, the one recent constant has been losing. The regular-season record over the past three seasons: 23-50-24. The decision to name and brand a soccer team from Los Angeles after a Guadalajara-based club that is a foreign irrelevance to most American fans and detested by half of Mexico remains one of the most vexing in MLS history.

Outlook: If Chivas is a train wreck again this year, at least it will be fun to watch. New coach José Luis Sanchéz Solá is as theatrical as they came and has a well-known preference for attacking soccer. Young attackers Juan Agudelo, a U.S. national team prospect, and Miller Bolaños, an Ecuadorian, will add some excitement. Watching goalkeeper Dan Kennedy stand on his head as the team falls apart in front of him also makes for quality entertainment.

But the real story will continue to be Chivas’ pursuit of a Latino identity. The club has parted ways with six non-Hispanic players over the past five weeks, and each of Chivas’ nine signings have Latin heritage or come straight from Mexico. It’s controversial in some circles, but it certainly will serve one important purpose—Chivas USA will have an identity at last. Now, let’s see if it lasts more than a year.